LAHC, as a founding member of the British International Schools Safeguarding Coalition (BISSC), is delighted to mark the launch of the BISSC Safer Recruitment Code of Conduct - a landmark framework designed to further support, promote and strengthen safeguarding standards across international schools.
BISSC was established in November 2023 with the purpose of establishing and promoting a unified strategic and coordinated approach to strengthening global safeguarding systems.
Emily Konstantas, Chair of BISSC and CEO and Founder of The Safeguarding Alliance, formally launched the BISSC Safer Recruitment Code of Conduct at fellow founding member COBIS' Annual Conference on 12th May 2025 in London. The Code sets out a shared commitment to rigorous, transparent, and ethical recruitment practices within international education, and which will be applicable to all school members of BISSC founding organisations.
The Code of Conduct will come into practice from 1st September 2025, offering a unified benchmark for safer recruitment policies in the BISSC network of schools. As a supportive guidance document, it is designed to encourage reflection, consistency, and continuous improvement in order to keep children safe in their education settings.
This development underlines the joint commitment and passion to drive forward global safeguarding standards from the founding members of BISSC.
Building on the significant safeguarding work of aligned partner organisations, with this new guidance, BISSC aims to ensure global safeguarding risks, challenges and concerns are reduced and given the utmost priority in order to protect those most vulnerable.
“We are very proud to share the new BISSC Safer Recruitment Code of Conduct. Keeping children safe in education is at the heart of BISSC. This pioneering document represents a major step forward in safeguarding practice — supporting schools in implementing vital policies, reducing risk, and promoting a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. It is our aim that this Code of Conduct will not only raise the standards of safeguarding in schools worldwide, but also set a new global benchmark for excellence.
We believe this framework has the power to transform how schools approach recruitment and protection, and we look forward to seeing the positive, lasting impact it will have when implemented in September.”
To read the Code of Conduct, please see here. For more information on the work of BISSC, please visit www.bissc.org.uk.
Founding Members of BISSC:
Kieron Peacock, Mark Bignall – AoBSO (Association of British Schools Overseas)
Debra Forsyth, Fiona Cottam – BSME (British Schools in the Middle East)
Colin Bell, Rosie Perry Sleeman – COBIS (Council of British International Schools)
John Gwyn Jones, Roisin Pearson – FOBISIA (Federation of British International Schools in Asia)
Alan Downie, Maureen Flemming – LAHC (Latin American Heads Conference)
Adrian Massam, Sarah King – NABSS (National Association of British Schools in Spain)
Emily Konstantas, Hannah Jones – TSA (The Safeguarding Alliance)